GTBank Sponsored Lagos State Principals Cup Commences Season Eight

[Lagos]–Foremost African Financial Institution, Guaranty Trust Bank plc, has announced at a media conference held on Friday, February 17, the commencement of Season Eight of the GTBank Lagos State Principals’ Cup.

According to Tolulope Onipede of the bank’s CSR and Service Initiatives, Communication and External Affairs department, no date has been fixed yet for the commencement of the competition as the planning committee will decide when to start the following week.

She however stated the that the tournament will run through to June and it which would feature over 370 secondary schools comprising of girls and boys from all over Lagos State who will compete in the 2017 edition.

The Managing Director, GTBank, Segun Agbaje, said the competition is aimed at actively engaging secondary school students through sports.

He added that the competition will promote the values of excellence and fair play, provide a platform for identifying, nurturing, grooming young and talented players and also help students work towards their dream of being world class footballers.

“Sports and education are fundamental in fostering camaraderie and discipline amongst youths and imperative to their development,” Agbaje said during his speech.

For the past 7 years, GTBank has continued to promote grassroots football through the organization of the celebrated Principals Cup competition, which is one of the largest grassroots competition in Africa.

Season 7 of the Principals Cup produced an exhilarating encounter with over 360 teams competing to be the ultimate champions of the prestigious tournament.

In the boys’ category, Dairy Farm Senior Secondary School completed a hatrick of championships (after winning in 2012 & 2014) and became the first team to permanently retain the trophy while Ikotun Senior High School held unto the cup in the girls’ category. About 370 schools comprising of girls and boys from various secondary schools in Lagos State will compete in the 2017 edition (Season 8) of the Principals Cups competition.

Over the years, the GTBank Principals Cup has launched the professional careers of several talented players.

It would be recalled that in 2015, Yetunde Fajobi joined the Nigeria U-17 female team – The Flamingos- having played in the 2014 edition, where she powered her school, Government Secondary School Agege to victory and emerged the most valuable player of the 2014 season.

Steven Odey, 2012 most valuable player also joined the MFM FC, owned by Mountain of Fire and Miracles, in the Nigerian Professional League in 2016, and now in his second season, he scored the first hatrick in the season and is currently the highest goal scorer.